KALONA

On Wednesday, March 20, a group of Kosovars and their local hosts toured six Kalona businesses thanks to a connection forged by Friendship Force International, an organization that promotes global understanding through meaningful travel experiences.

Tonia Poole, director of the Kalona Area Chamber of Commerce, helped facilitate the five-hour tour, which began at HIM Hearth N Home for lunch, then visited Farmers Hen House, Kalona Creamery, Milford’s Organic Regenerative Dairy Farm, JK Creative Wood, and Kalona Chocolates.

“Iowa is a sister state to Kosovo,” she explained. “We have people who go to Kosovo to learn and educate annually, and they have people who come to Iowa to educate.”

The relationship between Iowa and Kosovo is unique for a U.S. state and a country. For more than a decade, the Iowa National Guard has developed a close military and civil partnership with Kosovo; since 2003, more than 700 National Guardsmen and women have been stationed there as part of peacekeeping missions.

As in Iowa, agriculture is important in Kosovo; however, the group’s translator explained, there are significant differences. In Kosovo, they have a self-sustaining business model; families grow food to support themselves. The scale of businesses in Iowa, such as Farmers Hen House and Kalona Creamery, is much larger. The technology being used in these businesses is also beyond what the Kosovars have access too.

However, what Poole hoped the Kosovars would gain from these businesses is a model for how to create stronger relationships. Kosovo has uneasy relationships with its neighboring countries, such as Serbia; whereas Farmers Hen House and Open Gates Group (Kalona Creamery) have strong networks within the state and their own businesses.

The tour group hoped to gain new ideas for both agriculture and tourism, which is why Kalona seemed like the perfect place to visit.

The group spent a week in the United States, beginning in Washington D.C. Once in Iowa, they went to the State Capitol and met with legislators; visited the Amana Farms, one of Iowa’s largest contiguous farms; and toured an aircraft salvage yard.

“They love everything. They’re a very good group,” the translator said. “They have a large amount of potential. The problem is really the government.”